Cane mill roll



May 3, 1932: N. KAY l,856,484

Patented May 3, 1932 PATENT OFFICE NORMAN KAY, OF JOBOS, PORTO RICO CAN MILL ROLL AppIication filed September 10, 1927. Serial No. 218,689.

This invention relates to rolls for cane grinding machines, and has particular reference to the surface configuration of the rolls for use in cane mills. Such mills usually consist of three rolls arranged at the Vertices of a triangle. The upper of these rolls is termed the top roll, while the lower roll, which receives the cane, is termed the cane t roll, and the third is usually called the discharge or bagasse roll. A unit of this -character is usually preceded in a cane mill installation by one or more pairs of crusher rolls whose function is to disintegrate and ,V shred the cane to prepare it for the work of 5 the three-roll, or juice expressing mills.

Vhile my invention is illustrated in connection with the rolls of a three-roll mill, it will, of course, be understood that it may also be applied to a two-roll mill, or a pair of crusher rolls.

The rolls of both three-roll mills and crushers are commonly provided with circumferential V-shaped grooves and ridges to effectively shred the cane and open up the Cells 5 in order to express the juice therefrom. Vhen the surface of these ridges is Smooth, it sometimes occurs that the cane Will not be efectively drawn into the roll bite, but, vOn the other hand, considerable slippage Will Occur and the cane will not be advanced through the mill in the most effective manner.

One Object of my invention is the provision of an improved Cane roll which will grip the cane and effectively draw it into the roll bite.

Another object of my invention is to provide rolls for cane mills, or the like, having y surface configurations, such that the cane will be caught and grip-ped by the rolls and will be efectvely drawn in between them. A still further Object of my invention is the provision in one or more of the rolls of a cane mill of longitudinal grooves intersecting the circumferential grooves, such that the bagasse will be received and compacted within the longitudinal grooves and will render the surface of the rolls rough at these points, So that it will grip the cane or bagasse and draw it forwardly through the mill.

To these and Other ends, the invention con- 'sists in the novel features and combination of parts to be hereinafter described and claimed.

In the accompanyng drawings:

Fig. 1 is a sectional view of a three-roll mill stand embodying my invention;

Fig. 2 is a top plan view of the mill stand shown in Fig. 1;

Fig. 3 is an enlarged fragmentary plan view of the top roll of the mill;

Fig. is a fragmentary sectional view on line lf-4: of Fig. 3, on an enlarged Scale; and

Fig. 5 is a view similar to Fig. 4, showing a modification.

The cane mill which I have selected to illustrate as a preferred embodiment of my invention, as shown in Figs. 1 and 2, comprises the side :tr-ames or standards 10 and 11, between which are mounted a top roll 12, a cane roll 13, and a bagasse roll 14, there being a turn plate 15 between the cane roll and bagasse roll to scrape the Cane or bagasse from the former and turn it SO that it will pass between the top and bagasse rolls. All of these rolls, as shown, are provided With circumferential grooves 16 separating the V- shaped ridges or ribs 17. According to the usual practice, the cane enters between the top and Cane roll where it is acted upon and shredded, to some eXtent, and is then passed between the top and bagasse rolls, the bagasse S roll being set Closer to the top roll than is the cane roll, so that the ridges of one extend into the grooves of the Other to subject the shredded cane or bagasse passing therebetween to an effective squeezing or pressing action to express the juce therefrom.

To prevent any tendency of the rolls to slip Over the cane and to ensure that the latter is positively drawn into the roll bite, I provide some or all of the rolls of the mill with beingrelatively small in sizesaysubstantially rectangular in cross-sectional form so as tobe provided With abrupt sidewalls, which Will effectively hold the particles of bagasse therein. i V

The grooves 18 are preferably, as shown, slightly shallower than the circunif'erential grooves 16, so that theteethof the scraper bars used With such rolls' will not c'atch *in the, ,longtudinal grooves, .the latter g-rooves of an inch wide. although.variation in this respect ,may. be,resorted to if desired. vTheir depth v will depend tosome extent upon the depth of the Circumferential grooves of the roll. The

side Walls of these longitudinal grooveszor recesses arepreferably Spaced from each other atza distance substantially less than the "disnential-ribs, as shown. Assho-wn in Fig. 2,

parallel-to. theroll axes, but may be formed V tance between the apices of? the. circumfer they preferably do not extend exactly helically on 'thefroll surface and, as shown in this figure,kthe grooves extending inwardly from'the opposite ends vof the 'roll meet at an ...apeX at about'the roll center, forming a double helical groove. It Will be understood that a single helical groove, -Or even .a Straight i groove, mayalso :be used with; good results.

'When the null lS in .operat1on, the particles V of bagasse passing therethrough Will lodge in the grooves18 .and become compacted therein verytightly. The grooves will be completelyfifilled 'With this material, so-that the roll at the point where the groove is provided flwill hama, rough surface formed by the bafgasse lodged thcrein. This rough surface [will extend. in a, line across the' roll surface, and .as a: number -of Such grooves. are formed t about the: periphery of the roll, the latterwill .be provided with a corresponding number of -roughened.portions, whichwill grip the Oncoming ,cane or'bagassefand advance it t through the mill. When the grooves are providedwith -abrupt Walls as shown, so that the month of the' groove is substantially no .largerthanthe bottom. thereof, there will be no ,tendency for the particles of bagasseto be forced out, but, On the other hand, they will be pressed*firmlytherein so that this compact filling of b-agasse' will,in effect, become :ai part of? the structure of the 'roll itself.

In' Fig of the drawings, I have shown a' modification wherein'the roll 19 isprovided appended laims;

with grooves 20 which are slightly under-cut so as to be somewhat wider at the bottom than at the month. When the bagasse has become firmly lodged in a groove of this Character, it will, of course, be held firmly therein due to the under-cut Walls of-the groove, and there will be no danger of its being dislodged and dropping out. Such a groove may, in some instances, be preferable to a groove having Straight Walls, although I have found that the latter structure 'gives no trouble in this respect# V The longitudinal grooves may be spaced circumferentially aboutthe roll to suit the conditions under which the rolls are used.

n practice,'-I have found that very good resultsare obtained when they are approXimately five inches apart, although this spacing isof course, Subject to variation.

"VVh'ile'T have 'shown and described some -preferred embodiments ofmy invention, it

will be understood that it is not to be limited .toall of the :details shown, but is capable of modification and variation within. the spirit Whatl Claim is: 4 1. i roll; for Cane mills orlthe like, having circurnferential grooves and ridges and' :lon-

-, *gitudinal Cane trappinggrooves, intersecting said ridges, said longitudinal v groovesbeing rrelatively Shallow -and narrow as compared to the. circumferential, grooves andada-pted to 'receive ,and retainparticles of bagasseto roughenthe, roll Surface. i

A2.. A. [roll forsugar Cane crushingmaz chinery having circumf'erential grooves and ridges and longitudlnal Cane trapping groovesintersecting sald ridges, said longitudinal grooves having abrupt sideWalIS,

whereby particles of bagasse -willbecaught and. retained therei'n to. fill the A grooves and providethe roll with a continuous but rough- .ened sur-face.

3 ,A roll for .sugar Cane crushi ng machlnery, having circuniferential. .grooves :and

\ ridges :and longitudinal v grooves intersecting said ridges, said longitudmalgrooves havlng .abrupt sidewallS,-:where by. particles of 'ba- 'gassefiwill be caught and'retained therein, to

fill thegrooves and'providethe.roll With a continuous but roughened surface, "said groovesbeing arranged helically On the roll surface. v

4..A' :r.oll for cane inills or the like, having circumferential grooves andridges ?and generally longitu'dinally disposed. Cane -trapplng .and retaining grooves cutting across said-ridges, 'said last named, grooves being -relatively narro-w andshallOW and having abruptside Walls.

5. A: canevmill, having atop ^roll,..a.cane roll, and a bagasse roll all of said rolls having circumferential igrooves and ridges,-and One :of Said rolls being; provided' -with gener v of the invention :and withinthe Scope of the ee l'ia ally longitudnally disposed narrow grooves intersecting said ridges, said last named grooves having abrupt side Walls to receive and retain particles of bagasse therein.

6. In an apparatus for eXpressing juice from Sugar Cane, a pair of cooperating rolls, both of said rolls having circumferential grooves and ridges, and one of said rolls being provided with relatively narrow, abrupt walled, longitudinally disposed grooves, intersecting said ridges.

7 In an apparatus for expressing juice from Sugar Cane or the like, a pair of cooperating rolls, one of said rolls having formed therein narrow grooves extending generally longitudinally of the roll and adapted to receive and retain therein particles of material passed through the rolls, said grooves being as wide at the bottoms as at the mouths thereo.

8. A roll for Cane mills or the like, having circumferentially arranged grooves and ridges, and generally longitudinally disposed grooves Cutting across said ridges, and formed to trap and retain particles of bagasse to provide a roughened Surface on the roll at the months of the grooves.

9. A roll for Cane mills having crcumferential V-shaped ribs and provided with a plurality of recesses intersecting the ribs for trapping and holding the bagasse and thereby increasing the grip of the roll On the Sugar Cane during grinding, said rec-esses being provided with abrupt side walls spaced apart a distance substantially less than the distance between the rib apices.

10. A roll for Cane mills having circumferential V-shaped ribs and provided with a plurality of recesses intersecting the ribs for trapping and holding the bagasse and thereby increasing the grip of the roll on the Sugar Cane during grinding, said recesses being provided With substantia-lly parallel side Walls spaced apart a distance substantially less than the distance between the rib apices, Said recesses extending downwardly into proXimity to the bottoms of the grooves between the ribs.

11. A Cane mill roll having circumferential V-shaped ribs, and longitudinal bagasse trapping grooves intersecting said ribs, Said longitudinal grooves having abrupt narrowly spaced side Walls extending downwardly into proximity to the bottoms of the grooves between the ribs to give said longitudinal grooves Substantial depth so that they retain a substantial amount of bagasse.

12. A Cane mill roll having its peripheral portion formed as a continuous integral cylindrical member,said portion having circumferential rooves and ridges in its surface and also having longitudinal Cane trapping grooves intersecting said ridges, said last named grooves having abrupt side Walls 

